A group of friends in their 50s will be embarking from Great Yarmouth on a 300 mile bike ride across European First World War battle grounds in aid of a military families charity.

From June 8 the six cyclists and a two man support team will set off from the Menin Gate in Belgium and over the next two days they will make their back to their home borough in aid of Scotty’s Little Soldiers.

The Ypres to Yarmouth #Y2Y group comprises Tim Amphlett, Paul Bunnewell, Chris Clements, Patrick Green, Kevin Huggins, Kevin Pywell, Leigh Reeder and Karl Reeder and they will making their way through Flanders and Passchendaele.

It will be the third charity ride the group have embarked on and this time around they have chosen Scotty’s Little Soldiers as they wanted to support an armed forces charity as their bike ride is focussed on the First World War.

The Kings’s Lynn-based charity supports children and young people who have lost a parent while serving in the armed forces and it opened its first holiday home at Haven Seashore Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth in 2012.

Leigh Reeder said: “We are just a bunch of normal lads who often go for a bike ride and have a laugh and don’t take it too seriously.

“As we decided to partake in a First World War cycle ride we decided to look for a local charity that was army and navy related.

“Richard Routledge from What is Hip In Gorleston found out about Scotty’s Little Soldiers and put us in contact with them.

“They are currently nine children in Norfolk who have lost a parent in the armed forces.

“It would be great to raise £3,000 or more.”

The two previous bike rides were from Nelson’s Column in London to Great Yarmouth in memory of Ryan Harman and then The Isle of Wight to the Pleasure Beach ride was for Mr Huggins’ daughter, Gemma.

As well as helping the group choose its cause, Mr Routledge held a soul night at the Cliff Hotel in Gorleston to raise funds for them.